The terms ‘Generation Z’ and ‘Millennials’ are used in this article. In simple words, Generation Z (or the new generation) includes the youth who were born from the mid-nineties (i.e. 1995) to the late 2000s (i.e. 2010). While Millennials refers to the generation behind Generation Z who was born from the early eighties (i.e. 1980) to the mid-nineties (i.e. 1995).
‘Are you ready to settle?’
This question was asked by Kyung Mei Lee, a student at Yale College in the US, in an article posted on the college’s news website in February 2020. The article was titled “Settling Down: Romance in the Era of Jean (Generation) Z.”
It asked the question, will he (Kyung Mi Lee) and his young friends, like the millennials, marry late?
It’s been almost two years since that article, and 23-year-old Lee believes the answer to that question is a resounding yes. But the reasons are not the same as those of millennials. “I think the reason millennials aren’t in long-term relationships is because they’ve had more sex,” she says.
That is, millennials didn’t form long-term relationships because they were taking advantage of their single life. Unlike Millennials, Generation Z doesn’t want to get into such relationships because they’re more self-aware in these matters, Lee says.
The research conducted on this topic also confirms Lee’s opinion. Regarding relationships, the new generation (Generation Z) thinks differently than the previous generation and their attitude is realistic. While Generation Z is also reducing sex in the place of the youth of the previous generation.
“They [Generation Z] understand that at different points in life they will have different partners that will meet their needs at that time,” says Julie Orbit, Vice Media Group’s SVP of Insights. ‘
In their research, they selected 500 people from the US and UK, mostly Generation Z and Millennials, while a small number of Generation X was included just for comparison.
Only one in ten Gen Zs in the study said they believed in the idea of being with someone long-term.
Many other researchers have also confirmed this thought. In a survey conducted on Generation Z in India, 66 percent of people said they believed that not all relationships last forever, while 70 percent favored not limiting romantic relationships.
Both researchers and Generation Z explain why. First, this generation is growing up in a time of uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic, rapidly worsening climate change and economic imbalances. Many Generation Z people feel that by bringing another person into their lives, they can improve and balance it.
Along with this, due to the large amount of online information about relationships, they know many aspects. Not only do they understand and communicate very clearly that their partner should not compromise their identity and needs, but also what they will gain from the relationship.
“They’re hyper-focused on themselves, and it’s not because they’re selfish,” Orbit says. They know that they are responsible for their own growth and happiness. And if they want to take care of others, they have to take care of themselves first.
Finding balance
Stephanie Koons is director of the research and public education department of the Council on Contemporary Families in America.
She says, “During the 1960s and 1970s, a 25-year-old man could pay for the entire household with his income, and his wife could sit at home and look after the household affairs.” For many people from Generation Z, this not only does not fit into their traditional environment, but for some, it is ridiculous.
Ariel Koperberg, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina in the US, says that Generation Z people are prioritizing the idea of being financially strong, which is why they are getting married later (that is, they are getting married later). get married).
The length of time people are getting married is increasing because the length of time it takes them to become financially stable is also increasing (ie, today’s generation takes a little longer to get on their feet).
Lee and his friends agree. She says she considers herself part of “the most financially insecure generation in history.” And this is the reason why she wants to achieve financial independence before marriage.
As a senior student in university, she says her friends are also prioritizing their careers over relationships. ‘It’s very rare that I have a friend who says they have to relocate for a man.’ Instead, their friends are focusing on their careers and thinking How can they fit their relationships into it?
Koperberg’s research confirms this. They have noticed that unlike Millennials, Generation Z (the new generation) is more focused on their careers and most are not convinced to go on dates.
She says, “I don’t think they want a stable relationship, but they are just delaying getting into a relationship.” Koperberg also found from research that young people, especially those in their twenties, cannot live alone for economic reasons. Due to which they are living with their parents. “That’s why casual relationships are on the rise and serious relationships are on the decline because it’s harder to form these relationships.”
Recently, due to Covid, the situation has become such that it is not possible for young people to live alone. Koperberg interviewed a young man in the fall of 2020. The boy had moved from Washington to his parents in North Carolina when Covid started. He told researchers he would not date anyone until he moved back to Washington.
Looking for a partner
In September 2020, a study conducted by Vice Media Group called ‘Love After Lockdown’ found that 45% of people were from Generation Z (new generation) and 75% of them were single and not dating anyone during Covid. were Many people say that they want to spend this time alone and get to know themselves before starting any relationship.
“I started thinking about myself, what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do,” says a man in Generation Z from Italy. It taught me a lot.”While a woman from Generation Z in the US says, ‘I was physically the furthest away and I could give myself a break and ask who I am.’
But this attitude is not necessarily the result of the deep thinking of Generation Z, one of the reasons behind it could also be that people did not have much to do during the lockdown. However, people of the new generation around the world have more resources to understand themselves. They also have social media apps such as TikTok, where therapists share tips on how to connect with each other and provide information about healthy relationships.
Lee says her younger sisters, who are in their first and second year of college, have developed a language of relationships through TikTok. “Teenagers now talk about their attachment style, their romantic and sexual partners, for example they say ‘I have an anxious attachment style,'” she says. It’s different from the old dating style, in that you choose someone you understand with yourself in mind, rather than someone you just find outwardly good or interesting.’
Although this thinking is not limited to Generation Z, they have more resources and information to find their partner than previous generations. They also have some mechanisms that were not even thought of in previous generations.
Sexuality and gender i.e. the changing thinking and behavior on the subject of sex and gender is also a reason for this change. Generation Z’s tendency to identify with a single gender has declined. “People want to know about their sexuality,” Koperberg says.
According to data from their research, seen by the BBC, 50 percent of Generation Z self-identify as heterosexual, while many also describe themselves as heteroflexible.
The openness to a variety of sexual partners and relationships is reminiscent of Orbit’s observation about Generation Z. In which he has stated that Generation Z (new generation) is not looking for ‘one and only’. They are looking for different people who can fulfill their different needs. These needs can be romantic, sexual, or something else.
Our parents used to look for a religion or a common political ideology among people. But this generation is looking for honesty and love. Looking for someone who makes you happy to wake up in the morning. On the contrary, if you talk about previous generations, they are willing to date different people and give them a chance.
wind of change
This view of relationships is very different from previous generations.
Koontz says that when she was interviewing people for her book on family and women in the 1960s, she asked a woman why she decided to get married. So the woman was surprised and replied that it was time for marriage.
“There was a perception in the past that you had to get married to enter adulthood,” says Coons. Now it is reversed.
But the new generation is not convinced of this thought. In the past, marriage was a way to enter adulthood, but nowadays it is done without marriage. Time has passed as society moves towards this and every generation’s thinking about the traditional family and its importance is changing. Whether this ideology is being shaped by Generation Z or society at large, it is difficult to decide.
But not every person is doing this. Among college students, Generation Z’s race, caste, gender, and religion influence how they date and seek relationships.
“White people are more likely to have sex,” Koontz says. On the contrary, people of other races are more inclined towards relationships and formal dates.
They also say that people from economically stable households are more likely to have casual sex and establish stable relationships. One of the reasons for establishing lasting or stable relationships is that they have more resources.
Like millennials, Generation Z’s reasons for marrying late point to pragmatic behavior. One of the reasons Millennials marry late is the fear of divorce because most Millennials have divorced parents. Apart from this, economic force is also a reason for not marrying.
But Generation Z faces even more uncertainty. While Millennials were faced with issues like climate change, the issue has become more serious for Generation Z, with new challenges emerging in the form of Covid. Unlike previous generations, however, Generation Z prefers independence and stability.